I have a Honda Ridgeline and love it. It has a lockable bed storage area inside and beneath the bed. It is dry storage and is great for transporting charcoal when it's raining. You can use a plastic Rubbermaid storage bin to store and transport your tongs, spatulas and assorted cooking equipment. If you want to transport it in the lockable storage, just make sure you buy one that fits inside. My favorite feature is the Ridgeline tailgate. Being able to open it like a car door makes it so much easier to load items both into the bed and lockable storage area without having to lift or lean over the tailgate.
I transport my kettles bowl down, with the legs and wheels facing upwards. I place the charcoal grate on the bed, then the cooking grate, then place the kettle upside down with the bowl over the two grates. The lids I stack on top of one another, using a moving blanket folded between each one to prevent damage. I keep the kettles close to the rear of the truck cab with the front leg facing the rear tailgate. I learned early on to strap the kettles down with the wheels aligned to cut through the wind. I run a tie down strap from a lower tie down on the truck, up over the triangle and then back down to the opposite side tie down. The wheels can catch the wind and tip the kettles over if transported near the tailgate. Dog dish ash pans should be removed and transported in the lockable storage. They can blow out of the bed. Ash bucket type catchers do not have that problem and can be left on the kettles.
When transporting more than two kettles, I place a moving blanket down on the bed to keep the kettles from moving. They have a tendency to shift and slide on the hard plastic bed liner of the Ridgeline.
I have also transported several Ranch kettles in my Ridgeline. They are easy to load and transport and can be done by one person if needed. The ashpan should be removed and placed in the lockable storage. I leave the lid on and use two tie downs. One to secure the lid to the bowl and one to secure the bowl to the truck bed.
jcnaz posted some good questions. I would not recommend ever transporting a kettle with hot ashes or coals. I can't tell you how many times I have watched trucks and SUV's burning in the Oakland Coliseum parking lot after sporting event tailgate parties. Also, several times I have responded to truck fires on the freeway that the bed contents ignited from ashes blowing out of a kettle being transported with hot coals and ashes. It is a recipe for disaster.
Topic: Need some advice on transporting grills (Read 2759 times)